Don't leave free money behind
Employer Match Calculator
Your employer's 401(k) match is an instant, guaranteed return. This tool shows exactly how much free money you capture today, what you're missing, and the precise contribution percentage to grab every dollar.
Your employer match
Free money you're missing each year
$900
To capture it all, contribute 0.0%
- Match you capture now$900
- Full match available$1,800
- Contribution gap3.0%
- Missed match over 30 years*$85,015
* Missed match compounded at your assumed return - the true long-run cost of under-contributing.
Figures current for 2026 · last reviewed June 2026 · sourced from the IRS (IRS Notice 2025-67). How we calculate & cite our data. Educational only — not financial advice.
Assumptions & notes
How does an employer match work?
Your employer adds money to your 401(k) based on what you contribute - commonly 50% or 100% of your contributions up to a percentage of your salary (often 3-6%). It is part of your total compensation; not capturing it is leaving pay on the table.
What's the catch?
Matches often have a vesting schedule - you may need to stay a few years to keep the full employer portion. The match still beats almost any other guaranteed return while you're there.
Should I contribute beyond the match?
Yes, if you can. The match is the priority, but contributing more (up to the IRS limit) builds your balance faster. Compare the trade-off with take-home pay using our paycheck tool.
These are assumptions, not guarantees. Investment returns and inflation are estimates you control - markets vary and past performance does not predict future results. Tax figures use current-year IRS numbers; your situation may differ. This tool is educational and not financial advice.
Why the match matters so much
A 50% match is an immediate 50% return on every dollar you contribute up to the cap - before the market does anything. Over a career, consistently capturing the full match instead of falling short can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to your balance, as the example above shows. If money is tight, the match cap is the one contribution level worth protecting first.